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review
£34.99
VERDICT:
Easy to use and light enough to take to events, a good choice for daily or occasional use
Weight:
1,210g
Contact:
At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.
What the road.cc scores meanGood scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.
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Park Tool's distinctive blue products are a common sight in bike shops and home workshops around the world, and this Home Mechanic Floor Pump PFP-8 is an affordable and easy to use option. It's not the sturdiest pump in the world, but the large base means you can stick your foot on it for stability, and it works reliably.
- Pros: Easy to use, big dial, chuck, light, price
- Cons: Not the sturdiest build
First things first, it's an easy pump to use. The chuck, the part you attach to the inner tube valve, accommodates both Schrader and Presta valves with separate holes. Simply push the head onto the valve, flip the lever and you're good to go. It's that simple.
During use, the head stays firmly locked onto the valve – I had no issues with it falling off or working loose. Beware, though, the lever can flick closed rather quickly. You learn that lesson pretty damn quick!
> Find your nearest dealer here
At the base is a huge high-contrast analogue dial that makes viewing the pressure very easy, with psi and bar readings displayed in generously sized digits. It 'only' goes up to 160psi but that's enough for most applications; only trackies will want to go higher than that.
The pump is built around a steel barrel and base with a plastic handle. It is lightweight and as such is easy to move about, making it a good candidate if you do a lot of travelling to events and want to stick a pump in the boot of the car.
The wide base provides plenty of real estate for using your foot/feet to keep it planted while you're pushing and pulling the plastic handle. That's a good thing, it not being as sturdy as some heavier and admittedly pricier pumps.
It's clearly designed for occasional rather than regular or even daily use, where the higher quality materials and extra heft of workshop quality pumps provide a much more solid feeling.
> Buyer's Guide: 12 of the best track pumps
It is very easy to get a tyre inflated. I counted 17 strokes from flat to 80psi, and the effort level was minimum, with the last stroke no harder than the first. It proved to be accurate when compared to other pumps and my trusty digital gauge – I inflate my tyres on a regular basis and I'm fussy about pressure accuracy. I had no issues on this front with the Park Tool as a daily pump.
> How to choose your tyre pressure for speed, grip and comfort
In terms of value, it's quite a cheap pump and compares well with others. The Zefal Profil Max FP60, which got a very glowing review, is £39.99, or there's the Lezyne Sport Floor Drive ABS2 pump which looks even more nicely made and even features a wooden handle, but that's £45.
Verdict
Easy to use and light enough to take to events, a good choice for daily or occasional use
road.cc test report
Make and model: Park Tool Home Mechanic Floor Pump PFP-8
Size tested: One
Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?
Park Tool says, "Economical, durable and versatile, the PFP-8 is equally at home in the garage, workshop or at the trailhead."
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
Park Tool lists:
Composite head with thumb lock fits Presta, Schrader and Dunlop valves without switching internal parts
Smooth operating steel barrel
Super stable steel base with extra large foot pads and giant, easy-to-read gauge
Comfortable, composite handle
Rate the product for quality of construction:
7/10
It appears to be well made.
Rate the product for performance:
7/10
It works well enough.
Rate the product for durability:
7/10
Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
8/10
It's very light, easy to chuck in the back of the car or carry with you from home to garage.
Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)
7/10
Rate the product for value:
6/10
There are a lot of pumps at this price. It's pretty cheap and delivers solid performance.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Inflates tyres quickly and easily.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
Easy to use and light.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
Not the sturdiest in the world.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
It's a little cheaper than the Zefal Profil Max FP60, which got a very glowing review, and even less than the Lezyne Sport Floor Drive ABS2 pump. For many, the reputation of the tool specialist will give the Park Tool the edge.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Yes
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes
Use this box to explain your overall score
It's a good track pump, being easy to use and reliable.
About the tester
Age: 31
I usually ride: My best bike is:
I've been riding for: 10-20 years I ride: Every day I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, time trialling, cyclo-cross, commuting, touring, mountain biking
David worked on the road.cc tech team from 2012-2020. Previously he was editor of Bikemagic.com and before that staff writer at RCUK. He's a seasoned cyclist of all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, touring to cyclo-cross, he only wishes he had time to ride them all. He's mildly competitive, though he'll never admit it, and is a frequent road racer but is too lazy to do really well. He currently resides in the Cotswolds, and you can now find him over on his own YouTube channel David Arthur - Just Ride Bikes.
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Add new comment
4 comments
This pump is really good at bending valves so be careful with it.
So because it doesn't have the same "solid feeling" of a workshop pump it's not designed for regular or daily use, what an absolute load of baloney! You simply cannot make a judgement like that based on 'feel'!
Have you ever tried using a pump like this on a regular or daily basis and see what happens and how long it lasts?
Why don't you put this 'none sturdy', not designed to be used regularly (whatever the hell that means!) pump on a long term test, use it daily and report back say in 6 months.
As it is it looks very similar to the one's LIDL were knocking out last year for £5 under the 'Crane' brand, the only difference is the colour and the chuck head, the angled feet, big round dial and long narrow barrell are identical.
"a good choice for daily or occasional use".
Says it twice - top & bottom of the review. But as you quite rightly point out - the actual review says different!
So, road.cc - which is it?
I had to give up on a Topeak Joe Blow after a few years’ use (it started to struggle get over 70 psi) and a Park was a replacement and still goes strong after several more years.
Just watch that chuck lever - you do not want a thumb under it when it closes!